Help Brittany Get a Leg Up
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Morgan and I am creating this fundraiser for one of my dearest friends, Brittany Wilson. Brittany and I have been friends since kindergarten and I have had the absolute pleasure of watching her grow into a beautiful, strong, intelligent and INDEPENDENT young woman despite the challenges that many would not have overcome. Let me start from the beginning so you can get the full picture...
Brittany was born prematurely at just 27 weeks with complications during birth. Despite this challenge, Brittany was strong from the start and made it home with her parents. As she began to grow her mom started to notice that she was not meeting many of her milestones. By age two Brittany had not even began to walk and it was at this point the doctors determined she had Cerebral Palsy (CP). Cerebral Palsy is "a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture due to abnormal brain development before birth." Brittany's prognosis was less than ideal. Doctors told her mom that she would never walk on her own, dress herself or go to a normal school.
Brittany, her parents and God were fighters and had a much different plan for her life than what the doctors had in mind. Brittany had her first of 11 surgeries at age 5. She got a pump placed in her lower abdomen that runs a catheter into her spine. The pump then disperses medicine into her legs to reduce the spasticity of her muscles and helps her walk. The pump has to be replaced every 7 years which requires reopening two of her 30 scars.
For many of her earlier years, Brittany required leg braces and a walker. The doctor's wanted her mom to send her to Christy Lane (a school for kids with handicaps or special needs). Brittany's mom fought to keep Brittany in a main stream school system and as she got older she worked hard with physical therapy and managed to no longer need either of these helping devices. Throughout grade school and middle and high school Brittany could do most things on her own only requiring the hand of another person from time to time and a wheel chair for very significant distances.
Brittany graduated from Willard High School in 2011 and proceeded to attend Ashland University. Here she lived in a dorm, got herself to and from class with the help of a scooter, was on the Dean's list, became a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and completed her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in May 2015. Since graduating, Brittany has worked full time for 5 years in Outpatient Registration at Mercy Health Willard Hospital.
Outside of her academic successes Brittany was homecoming queen her senior year of high school. She has obtained her driver’s license and owns a car with hand controls. She completed a 5k and she has participated in several research studies to help improve medicine for CP.
It was her most recent involvement in a research study that led Brittany to where she is today. At 26 years old Brittany's ability to walk was deteriorating significantly. She could not walk or stand for more than several minutes without being faced with terrible pain. At this point, she would likely end up being completely wheelchair bound in the next 3-4 years, but this was not good enough for her. She decided to participate in a study in Wilmington, Delaware. It was at this study where she learned of a doctor in Minnesota who could perform a rare surgery that would improve her walking and quality life exponentially.
This surgery would involve removing all of the screws in her left foot, shaving off some of her tibia (the bone in your shin) to make her legs the same length and completely reconstructing her ankle and foot so they would be straight.
With a long wait list, Brittany finally got scheduled for a consultation for March 2020. Then COVID hit (the dreaded COVID). This put off her first consultation until July 2020. The surgeon determined then that she was a perfect candidate and surgery was scheduled for October 5th, 2020.
Sure enough, Brittany was faced with another challenge. After flights and hotels were booked, excitement and nerves were high, Brittany traveled to Minnesota, they prepared her for surgery and as they were about to take her to the OR insurance called and DENIED coverage. Brittany would now be required to have her surgery done in the state of Ohio with a surgeon at Nationwide Children's. She met with this new doctor on October 15th and surgery was scheduled and completed on November 27th.
Since then, Brittany spent 8 weeks in a knee high cast non-weight barring where she has dealt with excruciating pain and unable to do much for herself. She developed a painful rash from the surgical tape and had to deal with an anxiety attack caused by the appearance of her leg when her cast got replaced.
Brittany got her cast off on Monday, January 25, 2021. The doctor's plan was to have her complete 3 weeks of inpatient rehab at Nationwide so that her leg could heal properly and she could be back up on her feet but insurance has defeated her again. Insurance has denied her inpatient rehab and she is being left to submit appeals and attempt to determine an alternative plan. Without rehab, this surgery will have been for nothing.
For as long as I have known Brittany she has had the absolute best personality. She is funny, outgoing, and a woman of true faith who has always trusted God's plan for her. I have never seen someone endure so much in their life and still remain as positive as she has. Brittany lights up a room and makes every situation better just by being present.
Brittany had this surgery done to keep her out of a wheelchair and keep her on her feet. She pushes to be the best version of herself every day. But this surgery has not only come with physical challenges but financial hardships as well.
Currently the billing department at Nationwide told her she has a running tab of $22,000 in medical bills that insurance is not covering and they are still waiting for several more charges to be put through insurance. They are also refusing to cover inpatient rehab which would cost a total of $150,000 out of pocket.
I am asking for help for my dear friend. Help to get some of her expenses paid for so that she can focus her energy on healing. This girl deserves the world and it would mean the world if we could help her out!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read her story and consider a donation! If you cannot donate, that’s okay but please keep her in your prayers ❤️
Brittany was born prematurely at just 27 weeks with complications during birth. Despite this challenge, Brittany was strong from the start and made it home with her parents. As she began to grow her mom started to notice that she was not meeting many of her milestones. By age two Brittany had not even began to walk and it was at this point the doctors determined she had Cerebral Palsy (CP). Cerebral Palsy is "a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture due to abnormal brain development before birth." Brittany's prognosis was less than ideal. Doctors told her mom that she would never walk on her own, dress herself or go to a normal school.
Brittany, her parents and God were fighters and had a much different plan for her life than what the doctors had in mind. Brittany had her first of 11 surgeries at age 5. She got a pump placed in her lower abdomen that runs a catheter into her spine. The pump then disperses medicine into her legs to reduce the spasticity of her muscles and helps her walk. The pump has to be replaced every 7 years which requires reopening two of her 30 scars.
For many of her earlier years, Brittany required leg braces and a walker. The doctor's wanted her mom to send her to Christy Lane (a school for kids with handicaps or special needs). Brittany's mom fought to keep Brittany in a main stream school system and as she got older she worked hard with physical therapy and managed to no longer need either of these helping devices. Throughout grade school and middle and high school Brittany could do most things on her own only requiring the hand of another person from time to time and a wheel chair for very significant distances.
Brittany graduated from Willard High School in 2011 and proceeded to attend Ashland University. Here she lived in a dorm, got herself to and from class with the help of a scooter, was on the Dean's list, became a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and completed her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in May 2015. Since graduating, Brittany has worked full time for 5 years in Outpatient Registration at Mercy Health Willard Hospital.
Outside of her academic successes Brittany was homecoming queen her senior year of high school. She has obtained her driver’s license and owns a car with hand controls. She completed a 5k and she has participated in several research studies to help improve medicine for CP.
It was her most recent involvement in a research study that led Brittany to where she is today. At 26 years old Brittany's ability to walk was deteriorating significantly. She could not walk or stand for more than several minutes without being faced with terrible pain. At this point, she would likely end up being completely wheelchair bound in the next 3-4 years, but this was not good enough for her. She decided to participate in a study in Wilmington, Delaware. It was at this study where she learned of a doctor in Minnesota who could perform a rare surgery that would improve her walking and quality life exponentially.
This surgery would involve removing all of the screws in her left foot, shaving off some of her tibia (the bone in your shin) to make her legs the same length and completely reconstructing her ankle and foot so they would be straight.
With a long wait list, Brittany finally got scheduled for a consultation for March 2020. Then COVID hit (the dreaded COVID). This put off her first consultation until July 2020. The surgeon determined then that she was a perfect candidate and surgery was scheduled for October 5th, 2020.
Sure enough, Brittany was faced with another challenge. After flights and hotels were booked, excitement and nerves were high, Brittany traveled to Minnesota, they prepared her for surgery and as they were about to take her to the OR insurance called and DENIED coverage. Brittany would now be required to have her surgery done in the state of Ohio with a surgeon at Nationwide Children's. She met with this new doctor on October 15th and surgery was scheduled and completed on November 27th.
Since then, Brittany spent 8 weeks in a knee high cast non-weight barring where she has dealt with excruciating pain and unable to do much for herself. She developed a painful rash from the surgical tape and had to deal with an anxiety attack caused by the appearance of her leg when her cast got replaced.
Brittany got her cast off on Monday, January 25, 2021. The doctor's plan was to have her complete 3 weeks of inpatient rehab at Nationwide so that her leg could heal properly and she could be back up on her feet but insurance has defeated her again. Insurance has denied her inpatient rehab and she is being left to submit appeals and attempt to determine an alternative plan. Without rehab, this surgery will have been for nothing.
For as long as I have known Brittany she has had the absolute best personality. She is funny, outgoing, and a woman of true faith who has always trusted God's plan for her. I have never seen someone endure so much in their life and still remain as positive as she has. Brittany lights up a room and makes every situation better just by being present.
Brittany had this surgery done to keep her out of a wheelchair and keep her on her feet. She pushes to be the best version of herself every day. But this surgery has not only come with physical challenges but financial hardships as well.
Currently the billing department at Nationwide told her she has a running tab of $22,000 in medical bills that insurance is not covering and they are still waiting for several more charges to be put through insurance. They are also refusing to cover inpatient rehab which would cost a total of $150,000 out of pocket.
I am asking for help for my dear friend. Help to get some of her expenses paid for so that she can focus her energy on healing. This girl deserves the world and it would mean the world if we could help her out!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read her story and consider a donation! If you cannot donate, that’s okay but please keep her in your prayers ❤️
Organizer and beneficiary
Morgan Pritchard
Organizer
Avon, OH
Brittany Wilson
Beneficiary